Getting Out of Pivot Hell: Our Year-Long Journey

We want to tell you about our tough time with our company. We were stuck in something called "pivot hell." A pivot is when you change your business idea. When you're stuck making many changes, and nothing works, that's pivot hell. It was really hard, but we finally found a way out. Here's our story:

The First Two Months: Small Changes and Big Realizations

At first, we tried to make small changes. We kept talking to the same people we thought would buy our product. We talked to over 100 people! But we found out that we didn't like the market we were in. It just didn't excite us. So we decided to make a big change.

The Next Four Months: Looking for Something We Believed In

This was the hardest part. We changed who we were selling to, which made things even harder! We did everything we could think of:

• We watched lots of videos about pivoting

• We talked to hundreds of people

• We came up with tons of new ideas

Every time we had a new idea, we'd get excited. But then we'd talk to someone about it, and the idea would fall apart. We realized we didn't understand the people we were trying to sell to. We needed to find a group of people we cared about and a problem we wanted to solve.

Months Seven to Ten: Finding Our People

We knew we had to pick a group of people to focus on. Luckily, we found a group of professionals we liked. They were smart and good with technology. We traveled to meet them in person. At first, our talks didn't seem very helpful. But after about 10 conversations, we started to see patterns. When we'd talked to 30 people, we understood their daily problems. We finally found a specific problem we wanted to solve.

The Last Two Months: Making Our Product Better and Better

Even though we knew who we wanted to help and what problem to solve, we still had to make a great product. During this time, we made four different versions of our product. The hardest part was making something different or much better than what already existed. We think our final product does both!

Advice for Other Founders

If you're stuck in pivot hell like we were, here's our advice:

1. Keep talking to the people you want to sell to

2. Try to really care about these people

3. Don't give up!

This journey was really hard, but we learned so much. We hope our story helps other founders who are having similar problems. Keep going, even when it's tough. It's worth it in the end!

Some Extra Tips for Startup Founders:

1. Be patient: Big changes take time. Don't expect to find the perfect idea overnight.

2. Stay curious: Always ask questions and be open to learning new things.

3. Build relationships: The people you talk to might become your first customers or give you great ideas.

4. Keep a journal: Write down what you learn each day. It can help you see patterns over time.

5. Take care of yourself: Pivoting is stressful. Make sure to rest and do things you enjoy.

6. Find support: Talk to other founders or join a startup group. It helps to share your struggles with people who understand.

7. Celebrate small wins: Even if you haven't figured everything out, be proud of what you've learned and accomplished.

Remember, many successful companies had to pivot before they found success. You're not alone in this journey!